The newly installed favourite for this year’s Jeffrey Archer Award, which goes to a person who has been less than candid about their education, appears to be News International’s Rebekah Wade.

The flame-headed Amazon, who will step down as editor of The Sun in September to become chief executive of the newspaper group, likes to tell anyone who will listen that she went to the Sorbonne. It is even included in her Who’s Who entry.

But it turns out that Becs, far from obtaining a degree at the prestigious French university in Paris, just did a brief course.

Some media commentators find it unacceptable.

“Rebekah merely attended a language course at the university lasting a few months, which implies no great distinction, and requires no academic qualifications to speak of,” sniffed one.